Friendship is Fine!
by Older-Than-Time
Summary: Harui Toyama was born of a quirk marriage. She'll do the same thing in the future. But for now, she's going to make sure her best friend becomes a hero.
1. FiF 1

_FiF is OC-centric and will diverge greatly from canon._

* * *

_"Here's the sad truth: quirk marriages are a thing."_

Not sure when I heard that, but damned if it wasn't true. You see, back before things got really weird, the world kinda sucked. It was boring and uninteresting, but then a glowing baby was born in some place in China...

...Ping King, I think?

Anyways, glowing baby is the first sign shit is going to get weird. Then more strange kids with powers pop up and as the years pass, the world goes from boring to holy-shit-we-live-in-a-comic-book awesome. Supposedly, there was this era of supervillainy reigning supreme, especially all the Middle East and East Asia, but after people got their shit together and actual superheroes started punching people in the face, peace became possible.

Mostly thanks to All Might, or so my teachers like to say.

Then again, All Might is the Number One Hero, capital and underline words mandatory, of all Japan. All Might equals Peace and Peace means All Might is here. When you live in this country, you have to accept three irrevocable truths:

1\. All Might is the Number One Hero and the reason why we have such a great country.  
2\. If you have a quirk, you're normal. If you don't, you're pretty much a second class citizen.  
3\. Being a hero is the only valid career if you want to legally use your quirk.

The other two don't even have anything to do with the others, but they're always mentioned together. Its so stupid, teach! Why the he-Where was I again?

Oh yeah, quirk marriages.

So, quirks are definitely a genetic thing. Nowadays, most of us get born with a weird power, like...twenty or so percent don't and maybe one in three hundred of that twenty percent are only technically-useless because their power is so subtle it might as well not exist. My dad was in that last bit. His Quirk: Solar Powered let him run off sunlight completely, not needing to eat, sleep or drink anything for energy. Given that moonlight is basically reflected sunlight, he never noticed any difference. So dad was pretty much quirkless as far as society was concerned.

It's not something people outright say, but being quirkless, literally or technically, pretty much made you a pariah, socially. You're treated even worse than someone with a disability and you're considered the weakest, therefore immediately expendable, asset. You're the first blamed and the first to be let go if things are going badly.

My dad, Haruhito Toyama, hadn't been able to keep a steady job for more than a few months, at least until he met my mom, Hajime Sato.

See, mom was a pro hero, not one of the big name ones like Endeavor or locally famous like Ingenium. Mom's Quirk: Empty Illusions let her create any object she could clearly visualize instantaneously. Sounds awesome, right? Sadly, these objects were powered by her body heat, which was never enough to properly form the object entirely; only the image of it. Needless to say, it was a nice looking, but ultimately useless ability for a hero.

Huh? Oh, her hero name was Prop Phantasm; her hero career only lasted three years before she retired. Well, retired is the wrong word. She was told to 'quit ruining her marriage potential, find a rich man to knock her up and make sure they have a kid whose quirk was better than hers was', by her asshole father, my grandfather Ashitaka Sato.

Since mom never made it big and didn't have any other skills, she did as gramps said. Went on a bunch of marriage dates that always had some other girl with a better quirk than hers. Gramps got desperate and found my dad. The idea was that since dad's quirk gave him energy and mom never had the internal energy necessary to form objects properly, together their quirks would be awesome.

Well, he was right.

After three miscarriages and a stillbirth, I, Harui Toyama, was born fifteen years ago. My Quirk manifested when I was three; Sunforge, a hybrid of both my parents' quirks. I don't get tired much and I can form objects properly using solar energy. I got a few other things, like being able to augment my physical capabilities, generate a lot of body heat and pull off even more bullshit with the near-endless energy provided by my father's half of my quirk. Yep, I came out with a quirk clearly stronger and more versatile than either of my parents. My dad is still discriminated for his apparent uselessness, though its more subtle nowadays since he managed to father such a gifted daughter and mom plans to live out her heroic aspirations vicariously through me.

Moral of the story? Uh, quirk marriages are a thing and they sometimes work out like your asshole grandfathers think they'll work out.

* * *

"Well, at least I got some honest feedback this time?"

I stare sheepishly at the bright red 100% on our teacher's grading rubric for my presentation. The report I gave about quirk marriages hadn't had any cited sources, barely numbered a thousand words (two thousand had been required), used informal wording and had a spelling error every other sentence. It was blatant and incredibly stupid favoritism; our teacher didn't even bother to hide it.

"We both know that you only passed because the administration silently demands all teachers pass the students with the best quirks. The rest of use have to deal with being graded fairly." The mop of messy purple hair to my left mutters. Lifting his head up to glare at me, Shinso puts his own scored rubric (79%) into his satchel. The distaste in his voice is clear and I don't blame him. The whole student body of Nabu Middle School knew my grades (and like seven other kids with strong quirks) were being padded by all our teachers. The prestige of graduating as many students with strong quirks to famous high schools and universities was a big deal for the administration. Famous alumni meant more funding and greater prestige, after all.

"Yeah, but at least we can make up for it next year when we both go to U.A. No more blatant favoritism and discrimination. We'd actually be graded according to our own merits. Which, to be honest, is all thanks to you tutoring me." I say, dragging him out of his seat. Falling into step beside each other, the two of us make our way through the school, classes finally over. If this was an anime, I'd be the fairly popular girl with Shinso being the one unpopular guy that I'm friends with to show just how nice and nonjudgmental I am.

If this was an anime.

Truth is, I'm friends with Shinso mainly because we've been neighbors for years, both love cats and damn if the guy doesn't have this...thing that makes him so easy to talk to. Shinso is pretty much the pariah of the school thanks to his Quirk: Brainwashing. He can mentally take control of anyone that answers him, irregardless if they meant to or not. It requires him to actively seek to take control, but that doesn't mean anything to the rest of the school. As far as they're concerned, its a villain quirk and its only a matter of time until Shinso proves them right.

I know its stupid and I've said it a dozen times. Shinso is really too nice of a guy to do it maliciously. Though, he'd do it in a heartbeat for a joke or if it was an emergency; once, he made me do stupid poses like a magical girl and took like a dozen photos he keeps as blackmail. But Shinso would never use selfishly; he's got this complex about his power. Didn't even get to name it himself like everyone else does for their quirks. Personally, I think he should call it 'Simon Says', like that American children's game, but Shinso is adamant about taking the name it was given by that asshole quirk doctor and proving everyone wrong.

Shinso is stubborn like that.

"What's the plan for the entrance exam next week? Do you think we'll end up in the same bracket?" I ask, hoping we do. I'll probably scrape by with an acceptable from the written and Shinso will ace it, there's no doubt. It's the infamous practical portion U.A. has. There's a cycle of tests, according to Tumblr, all geared towards physical and flashy quirks. U.A. juggles between robots, third year students and young pro heroes, so if its robots, Shinso is screwed.

He just shrugs and I can't help but worry. Shinso wants...needs to be a hero, to prove everyone wrong. And I, being the gracious and wonderful friend that I am, want to help him achieve that dream.

Totally just being an amazing friend.

Just a friend.

_Friendship is Fine!_


	2. FiF 2

I haven't seen Shinso.

He's not at his house, I checked. And by checked, I mean I snuck into his bedroom through the window. My bedroom window is right across from his and there's only a three foot gap. Its not the first time I've done so when he wasn't home or awake.

He's wasn't at his house, at the park we first met or at the convenience store down the street that has those slushies he likes.

_*ring*_

PHONE!

I rip my phone out of my bag, fumble with it like a dork and finally answer the call.

"Shinso, where are you?! The exam is in ten minutes!" I shout, panic finally setting in. There's a brief pause.

_#At U.A., waiting for you at the front gates. My parents wanted to come early so we could take pictures. And yes, the test is in ten...nine minutes. Where are you?#_ I sigh, happy that he wasn't going to...to...

...damn it.

"I'M ON MY WAY, DON'T START WITHOUT ME!" I run as solar energy floods my system, silently glad I can pull off Olympic-levels of fitness and still be a lazy couch potato with my quirk.

Solar energy for the win!

_#...I don't have control over when the test starts, but sure.#_

* * *

I plop my head down onto the desk, moaning piteously.

I had made it in time for the test. Well, I was late by five minutes but they had just been handing out the exam forms when I catapulted myself through the doors. Shinso, that absolute madman, best friend ever and sweet cinnamon roll, had been standing outside our exam room, waiting for me.

"You undoubtedly passed, Harui. All those questions were one's we studied before." I look up to see Shinso standing beside my chair, amusement clear on his face. Pouting at how unsympathetic to my mental troubles he is, I respond with maturity and elegance.

*thbbpthbpt*

Shinso coughs, laughing as we make our way to the practical portion of the test. I don't know how he pulled it off, but the two of us are in the same testing bracket, despite the fact that everyone else from our school are in separate brackets themselves. And, for the sake of neither of us being kicked out, I didn't ask.

**[Hey, listeners! Get ready for the practical portion of U.A.'s entrance exam! Remember the point system and show us the kind of heroes we know you all can be! TEEEEEEEEST STAAAAAART! GO GO GO!]**

The gates before us slammed open to reveal...a whole damn city crawling with robots, like I had dreaded...

...if Shinso and I were in separate brackets, that is. Since we've planned for this in the impossible chance we tested in the same group (Shinso, you sneak), Shinso and I put our plan into action. Both of us bolt through the stunned crowd of examinees, light coalescing into our hands.

Sunforge fires up, carefully memorized schematics coming to life as a set of low-recoil, single shot rifles. Research into weapons that'd suit us both had been a fun mental exercise in class. Some of our ideas had been stupid-cool, like lightsabers and other sci-fi weapons. After figuring out what'd actually work, Shinso and I practiced with a pair of .308 elk hunting rifles in a junkyard, shooting at scrap. Add in the taser round schematics Shinso found on a European website, malfunctioning robots began falling to the ground.

Now, Shinso and I were not master marksmen. Hell, we were aiming center mass and our shots were still all over the place. But we were getting points and that's all that mattered.

Copying an uncountable number of visits to our favorite arcade, Shinso and I mowed down every robot we could find. One- and two-pointers were the easiest to take down while the three-pointers' missile pods had us scurrying for the cover of the alleyways. I'm not sure how much time had passed but we had this in the bag.

"36, Harui!" Shinso shouts, ecstatic at how well he's doing. Given how well he'd have done with us in different brackets, I didn't blame him. Letting out a satisfied smile, I take down a three-pointer that tries to ambush us.

"32!" I lie, really having only twenty or so points. I'd been focusing on disabling or slowing down the robots, like at the arcade, for Shinso to finish off with his ownrifle. Shinso wants to be a hero while its the only option I've ever been given. I don't need the hero course...I don't.

"Hey, you two! Help, please!" We both turn to the cry, seeing a purple...kid, I think, trapped under a two-pointer covered in purple balls of some sort. The robot was somehow glued to the ground and the kid was stuck between the torso and arm. Shinso and I glance at each other. We both had enough points to pass (well, he did) and there was more than enough time to help him out...right?

"I'll keep watch while you free him, Harui." Shinso says as we jog over. Dismissing the rifle I had, I formed a thick steel pipe and start prying the robot's arm away. I hear Shinso shoot a few more robots ("41, Harui!") when the arm finally pops off and the kid hops free.

"I only got ten points, I gotta-!" he panics, bounding off. I sigh at not even getting a thank you when...

**[TIME'S UP!]**

"Gaaaaahhhh, nooo!" I hear him scream in dismay. The test was over sooner than I thought. Looking up, I see Shinso smiling wider than I'd seen in a while, muttering '41 points, I made it!'. I, on the other hand, only had twenty points at best. If I somehow had done well in the written, I think that was at least enough to qualify for General Studies at U.A. If not, there was always Shiketsu next week as my secondary choice...

"Yep, we made it, Shinso,"I say as we make our way back to the main building.

* * *

The week after the exam was almost unbearable for me.

Gramps was angry I hadn't taken the recommendation exam like he arranged. Apparently, he'd used up a valuable favor to get a recommendation from the Pro Hero, Yoroi Musha, and I had 'squandered such a valuable asset'. He and mom weren't pleased when they heard that I helped Shinso get in as well. Gramps because he thought Shinso wouldn't ever become anything more than an underground hero and mom has never liked Shinso. Dad was just glad I hadn't been hurt during the test. He was appropriately horrified that Shinso and I had been sneaking off to practice shooting without proper supervision. I didn't blame him for that. Shinso's parents had grounded him when they found out he'd been sneaking off with me.

To go shooting, of course. They know Shinso and I are just friends.

Friends...

"Hey, your parents still upset?" I call out to Shinso across the fence separating our houses. His purple hair peeks out of his window as he rests against the frame. It was late and the cool night air felt wonderful.

"No, they've calmed down. Seems they trust your judgement a lot more than they trust mine," he grouses and mimics his mother's voice. "'I know you're eager to become a hero, Toshi, but really, guns? At least sweet Harui made sure you both stayed far from the other examinees so no one would get hurt. And don't get me started on using your quirk on the examiners!'"

I giggled at the spot on performance. Mio Shinso was ever-exasperated with 'her boys', as she referred to her husband and son. But she supported Shinso's dream, which was awesome of her. Not to mention she made the best riceballs ever. I always snagged a couple from Shinso at lunch time.

"So, you really did use your quirk on the examiners. I thought it was odd that we both ended up in the same bracket, let alone seats right next to each other." I mock-glare at him and the smug jerk just shrugs nonchalantly.

"I just asked if you could be placed in the same room, Harui. I swear." He says, lifting a hand next to his face. "Junior Guide's honor."

I hurl a stuffed bear at him, the toy squeaking as it smacks his face.

"You quit the Junior Urban Explorer's a week after you started." I hiss, trying not to let my worry show. Regardless of how well he did in the test, if the examiners made a fuss about it...

"It'll be fine, you'll see." Shinso yawns, muffling himself with my bear. "Get some rest and we'll both check our mail for our acceptance letters in the morning."

His window closes and I flop back onto my bed in a huff.


	3. FiF 3

_AN: This is posted on Sufficient Velocity in User Fiction under strongFriendship is Fine (MHA AU, OC-centric)_

_AN-2: Corrected coding issue. Sorry about that!_

* * *

"Harui, you must understand. You are the result of four generations of tireless research and careful breeding,"Grandfather's lectures always started the same way. Cooperation and legacy. I wasn't allowed to go beyond the bounds of the path that grandfather had set out for me. But he's never been able to stop me from stepping beyond, and soon enough, he never will.

"...father was a lucky find, despite my misgivings. I've only begun making inquiries into an appropriate partner for yourself whose abilities will provide greater power to Sunforge. We must find a strength that will only compliment and empower your own, not undermine or overpower. I have high hopes that my acquaintance with the Yaoyorozu Group will provide inroads to the main family itself. The Creation Quirk of the second daughter is similar to your Sunforge, if more permanent and complex. There-..."

I zone out, counting down until he starts picking apart Shinso's faults as a companion. If I'm right, he should be starting right...about...

"...Shinso brat, completely unkept appearance and I cannot even begin to explain how his family's social and financial status will only hinder your progress amongst the ranks of heroes. You really must set aside-"

"Gramps," I interrupt, drawing an angry scowl from the old man. "I do owe Shinso for his help. If it wasn't for his tutoring in three subjects and doing what he could to delay the start of the entrance exam, I wouldn't have been accepted into U.A. I even suspect he used his quirk to convince the examiners to place me in the same bracket as he was to ensure I would have the support and protection he's provided all throughout middle school."

Grandfather scowls even deeper, if that was possible. He's probably wondering just what support a 'low class and future deadweight' like Shinso could provide. Luckily, I've had years to think about this.

"Shinso, using his own reputation, has made sure that the delinquents and layabouts that filled Nabu Middle School maintained a wide and respectful distance from my person, especially when it came to physical activities and events, such as the Sports Festival last year. Several boys attempted to lay their hands upon illicit photos of myself and several other girls taken in secret; Shinso used his quirk to acquire every copy at my request, preserving my reputation and gathering a great deal of influence amongst my female peers. And he prevents any stupid boys from accosting me in the halls and class on a daily basis by sheer presence alone, Grandfather. Despite what you may think, my choosing of Shinso as a companion was not mere charity, but an equal exchange of services. His presence deterred any harm to my personal reputation while my association with him has elevated his status from being that of a future villain to a possible underground hero."

I breath, hoping the old man takes my words at face value. Shinso helped plan out this response, making sure to highlight that I gained more from our friendship than he did. And from the expression on Grandfather's face, I think he does buy it. The old man reaches over and pats my head, smiling approvingly. Yep, he totally bought it.

"Good, I was hoping you are not completely hopeless when it came to the workings of the social hierarchy. Though the efforts of yourself and young Shinso are...juvenile in practice, it does show the level of cunning appropriate for children your ages. I will allow your continued acquaintance, so long as you both maintain your places in U.A.'s hero course. Should you fail to maintain your status, I will be forced to take more drastic measures. Now, you may go and deliver the news of your acceptance to your companion."

The dismissal is like a heavenly choir as I stride quickly from the study. Man, that sounds pretentious...

* * *

**"I Am Here! As A Projection!"**

"Shinso and I nearly topple out of his desk chair when All Might pops up on screen in a bright yellow pinstripe suit. He's been sighted frequently in the area most of the year, but why would he be in our acceptance packets? Maybe because he's the most famous U.A. alumni, or something.

**This year at U.A., I will begin teaching Basic Heroics and Fundamentals of Heroism for the Hero Course! And you have been accepted, Young Shinso! You see, your performance alongside Young Toyama in the physical entrance examination was a wonderful display of teamwork and cooperation. HOWEVER! It did not properly display Young Shinso's individual skill. As such, your reliance on the weapon provided by Young Toyama resulted in a five point reduction.. Furthermore, your illegal use of you quirk on an examination official ensured a further twenty points were deducted from your overall score, resulting in a final point total of sixteen! An acceptable score that placed you, Young Shinso, at the top of the General Studies Course."**

"Damn it...why did he say I was accepted into the hero course if I only qualified for General Studies? Was it punishment for helping my only friend?" Shinso trembled in disappointment next to me, clearly heartbroken...but there wasn't a single ounce of regret that I could see. I hugged him, providing what comfort I could while All Might continued on.

**"HOWEVER! There are mitigating factors that must be taken into account! While you relied a great deal upon the tools provided by Young Toyama, it was judged as a necessary advantage given your lack of a physical quirk. Furthermore, you and Young Toyama not only worked together as a team to achieve your objective, you both were noted to have provided aid to not just one Young Mineta, but fourteen others in your group. Careful assistance that distracted or subtly disabled robots so that they could be promptly defeated by your fellow examinees gained you, Young Shinso, a total thirty-six Rescue Points!"**

**"Yes, Rescue Points! You were not only judged in your ability and efficiency in defeating opponents, but your willingness to provide aid to your fellow examinees. You gained a single point for every robot you aided in defeating, as well as another six points for the robots you defeated while Young Toyama freed Young Mineta from his predicament. This brought your score back up, totaling to a full fifty-two overall, securing your place in Class 1-A of the Hero Course this coming semester at U.A. Academy!"** I admit, I squealed and nearly strangled Shinso when All Might said that. Rescue Points were a stupid-sneaky and amazing part of the test. An obvious part, given its a hero exam, but still! Shinso's eyes widened, hopefully from happiness as he stared at All Might's ever-smiling visage.

**"Rejoice, Hitoshi Shinso, for this is the beginning of your hero academia!"** The rest was a list of places to get our official uniforms, badges and I.D.s and the student handbook. My own letter was quickly opened, with All Might repeating a similar message. However, it revealed my deception, where I finished the test with only twenty-three combat points, to Shinso who outright glared at me for lying. Luckily, I managed to scrounge up a solid twenty rescue points from helping out other examinees like Shinso did, and seven more from freeing that Mineta kid. That got me up to a respectable forty-seven overall. Combined with actually acing the written portion, I got into the same class as Shinso, 1-A.

"I was going to U.A. with my best friend!

""...Harui...can't...breathe..."

"Whoops...


	4. FiF 4

U.A. was ridiculously massive for a high school.

Seven main buildings for classes, main and secondary cafeterias, primary and subterranean gyms, twelve tertiary buildings, four simulation centers and ten recreation fields.

That's not even counting the three dormitories across the street.

I admit, I was more than a bit starstruck as Shinso lead the way to our class.

1-A.

The Hero Course.

Well, technically, there are three hero course classes. 1-A, 1-B and 1-C. From what the student handbook and the net say, 1-A is for those who scored the highest overall in the entrance exam, 1-B for the runner-ups and 1-C for those that met the minimum required. Then there was General Studies, who were here for the prestige and wide variety of courses that U.A. provided and could be promoted to the hero course if a spot opened up.

After G.S. were Hero Support, Managerial Studies and...

...

"Shinso, what's the last course that U.A. has? General Studies, Hero Support, Managerial Studies...I forget the last one.." I whisper as we pass the massive main cafeteria. Shinso flips through the manual and shows me the right page. "Thanks!"

...Culinary, which was taught mainly by Pro Hero Lunch-Rush.

U.A. wasn't just the premier academy for heroics, but hosted a plethora of other areas of study.

"We're here..." Shinso's voice cuts through my inner monologue. I find us both standing right before a ten foot door with 1-A emblazoned on its surface. This was it...

"Alright, Hero Course...wow, I'm suddenly really nervous..." I laugh weakly, legs trembling a bit. I mean, this is the big time. Inside are the top scorers and the very best of our age, gathered in one room for the sole purpose of forging themselves into the great heroes of the age. All Might, Endeavor, Crimson Riot, Gang Orca, Best Jeanist...

Every Top 10 hero still alive today were once students in U.A., all members of the hero course themselves. This class was where they got their start.

I gulp and Shinso, apathetic jerk that he is, slides the door open and shoves me inside. I yelp, stumbling through the doorway to find...

...three people inside.

Was the hero course this small?!

Shinso closes the door behind him and the three inside rush over to meet us. The first is a muscular kid a bit taller than me with blazing red hair spiked up. He smiles, teeth like that of a shark. Part of his quirk, maybe?

"Eijiro Kirishima, pleased to meet you!" He holds a hand out that Shinso immediately takes.

"Hitoshi Shinso, i guess." He introduces himself before geturing to me. "This is Harui Toyama. Try not to get too friendly with her, she freaks out easily until she gets used to people."

I pouted, crossing my arms. The second and third person eagerly introduce themselves as well. Spikey blonde hair is all that makes the second guy stand out while the pink, almost alien features of the only other girl make her easy to spot.

"Denki Kaminari," blondie states, right hand giving a wave. He has an almost devil-may-care attitude about him.

"Mina Ashido!" Alien girl practically shouts, draping herself over my shoulder. Immediately, she begins rubbing her cheek against mine and I blush brightly. She's too close and wow, her skin is softer than mine. "Ne, Toyama, Let's be friends!"

I nod, solar energy seeping a bit. Ashido squeals, happy and says, "Wow, you're so warm! It's like I'm next to a space heater. Is that part of your quirk?"

"Y-yeah, I can run pretty hot if I'm not careful." I say, reigning the light back inwards. I edge just a bit out of her embrace, not entirely comfortable with how close the two of us are. "I have to be careful or I might light my uniform on fire. And burn people touching me, so yeah..."

"I get it, I'm the same with my acid quirk." Ashido lifts up both hands, surrendering the space between us. "Melts anything depending on how strong I make it. Can't tell you how many outfits I lost because I got excited or freaked out when I was younger."

"Yeah, so many frilly dresses burning away because I was so _excited_ to wear them," I say with a 'what can you do' air about me. Ashido and I share this...moment where we both remember certain outfits our families shoved us into that were just _adorable_. I think...no way...

Ashido and I grab hands, smiling widely.

_"Did we just become friends?!"_ We both squeal happily, finally finding someone that understood our 'accidents'. I spot Shinso glancing at us curiously before he's drawn back into some conversation with Kirishima and Kaminari.

* * *

It takes a few minutes, but the classroom slowly fills up with more students.

_"Tenya Iida, how d-Ah, Miss Toyama, I'm happy to see that you are here as well!" Iida was someone I'd become...acquainted with last year. Grandfather tried to arrange an...understanding with the Iida family. Sadly, the negotiations completely fell through. Iida was a nice guy, luckily._

_"Tsuyu Asui, call me Tsuyu." Wide eyes, hunched over with long green hair. Some kind of Mutation quirk, I guess. She seemed okay._

_"Mezo Koji." Taller than Iida, more muscular than Kirishima and multiple arms with a mask over his face. I don't know what's up with him._

_"Kyoka Jirou, I remember you from Nabu. I guess we're rocking this class together." I vaguely remember Jirou from middle school. She was in Class...F, I think? Shinso and I were in Class B. Her purple hair and earphone jacks were the only things I remembered about her._

_"Hanta Sero, I was in Class C at Nabu. You're Harui Toyama, right?" His wide smile and strange elbows were all I recalled of Sero from middle school. Wow, am I really oblivious to people? I gotta work on that._

_"Yuga Aoyama, though there is no need for introductions, mademoiselle Toyama." The kiss to the hand had Shinso shoving Aoyama away, but I did my best to reign him in. Aoyama and I were acquainted mainly from the parties and gatherings Grandfather took me to. Aoyama was nice, if a bit insecure about his quirk. He also sparkles...a lot._

_"Fumikage Tokoyami, you are very bright." He has a bird head and wow, his voice..._

_"Tooru Hagakure, I'm smiling, okay?" Invisible girl is invisible..._

_"Yui Kodai, a pleasure to meet you." Elegant and calm, tall and pretty. I try not to be jealous..._

_"Itsuka Kendo, how do you do?" Red hair, big sister type. Damn it, another tall pretty girl._

_"Momo Yaoyorozu, I see you made it in as well, Toyama." Yaoyorozu is mega rich, tall and leggy and, most importantly, my one true rival. Our quirks are similar and Grandfather constantly compares me to her. I don't want to hate her, because she's genuinely a nice girl. But she's got so much going for her it's hard not to._

_"Get out my way, extras." Angry blonde with red eyes looks like someone pissed in his cereal and shit on his front step. I carefully avoid him, though Shinso glares right back._

_"I-Izuku M-m-midoriya, hi!" Short with green hair, adorable freckles and everything about him screams cinnamon roll I must protect. Though according to Iida, this little cinnamon roll utterly destroyed the Zero-point robot during the exam. Holy shit..._

_"Ochako Uraraka, hello!" Bubbly brunette with a cute face and a personality to match. Maybe we'll be friends?_

_"..." This half-white, half-red haired guy needs no introduction. His name is Shouto Todoroki, youngest child of the Number Two Pro Hero, Endeavor. I've met him and his family before. Grandfather really...really...wants to make a connection to the Todoroki family. Their quirks are all really strong and versatile; supposedly, Shouto Todoroki has both fire and ice quirks from his father and mother. I really hope Grandfather screws things up._

"You all took far too long to calm down and take your seats." Most of us recoil or shout when a giant yellow caterpillar-man pops up behind the teacher's podium at the front of the class. Thankfully, he's not actually a caterpillar, just bundled up in a sleeping bag. The man has wild black hair, a tired expression and a 'gives zero fucks' vibe to him. "I'm Shouta Aizawa, homeroom teacher for 1-A and senior instructor for the hero course. Everyone line up at the door so we can head out to the entrance ceremony. Anyone that gets lost or purposely wanders off will be sent to General Studies."

No one moved for a brief moment...

"Now." He deadpans and we all scramble in line. Shinso and I get separated, with him in the far back with most of the boys. I get lumped between miss perfect Yaoyorozu and totally-a-big-sister Kendo. Aizawa looks over us, rubs a hand over his face and leads the way to the auditorium. "Eight seconds too long..."

Hmm, either he really wants to not teach or he's gonna be a hard ass instructor. I'll probably figure it out by the end of the week.

...at least, I hope I will.


	5. FiF 5

"All right, now that you've all been through the entrance ceremony, orientation and met with your assigned quirk councilors, we can begin weeding out those of you that will be moved down to 1-B, 1-C or all the way to General Studies."

Mr. Aizawa had herded us back into class only to send us reeling from that statement. Everyone had something to shout, say or mutter in horror. Looking over to Shinso, I could see him panicking as well. After nearly having a heart attack from our acceptance letters, there was going to be a guarantee that some of use would be kicked out?!

"Mr. Aizawa! How would you judge which of us merited removal from the hero course?" Thank you, Iida for lacking any shame or common sense. "Our quirks are all diverse and some of my fellow students have quirks whose use cannot accurately be measured in the same manner as those of us with inherently physical quirks!"

Shinso was tense, fingers gripping the edges of his desk. Of all of us, his _Brainwashing_ was the only psychological quirk I was aware of. If this was another purely physical examination, he'd be booted out on the first day. Mr. Aizawa sighed and held up a remote. Clicking a button that dimmed the lights and lowered a projector and screen from the ceiling, he explained this test.

"The quirk assessment test isn't a physical test. Rather, it's a instructor and peer evaluation of all your quirks and how you used your quirk in combat. Created by Principal Nedzu, this test will determine those of you that currently lack the creativity and knowledge the hero course requires of their top students. If, at the end of this test period, you are judged by both myself, an unknown and unbiased staff of examiners and by your peers as being an unsuitable member of your class, you will be instead placed in one of the lower scoring classes or in General Studies." Aizawa's explanation was...odd. It made it sound like our opinions of our classmates would help determine whether we could be heroes. But that's insane! Why would we be judged by people that have no clue about our motivations and skills when there's alre...oh...

...our peers would be standing in for the 'general public'; the officers and emergency responders we'd work alongside as heroes, the people we'd save and see us on TV. They'd know nothing about us personally, forming their opinions solely on our actions and words.

This just got a little scarier...

"...so you see, while you all know little if anything about one another. This lack of personal connection will serve as a degree of separation in which your first impressions of that person will define whether or not they fit the mantle of hero set forth by society today. Yes, it lacks rational and seems biased to the friendliest and flashiest of heroes, but remember that people are not wholly rational and unbiased entities. We humans form our opinions based upon the attitude and appearance of another person first, before revising that opinion based upon our knowledge of that person and what we experience from them. The more heroic you appear, the likelier you'll be allowed to remain in this course."

Looking back on the screen, the rude blonde guy pops up. Its just his face and a video of his performance in the practical exam. His quirk is powerful as hell; explosions burst from his palms that absolutely destroy any robot, and surface, he targets. It was impressive but scary how destructive he is. The audio of the video doesn't paint him in any better light, given the shouts of 'Die!' and the serious and varied profanity he belts out. The only really heroic moment we see is him forcefully shoving a scared kid out of the way of a three-pointer before blowing that robot up.

"First up is Katsuki Bakugou, the top scorer of the entrance exam. He gathered a total of eighty villain points, one rescue point and a full one hundred percent on the written exam. His quirk, _Explosion_, as you saw, is powerful, destructive and clearly has the potential for hero work. What can you tell me about him, according to what you just saw." Aizawa addressed the class, telling us to write down our opinions on the papers provided. I don't know what everyone else was writing, but the damage his quirk could belt out wasn't really important to me.

People using their quirks well didn't make a hero, according to Grandfather and the other pro heroes I'd interacted with. It was all about attitude and shaping how the public saw you. Endeavor was particular dismissive about raw power, stating that one needed versatility and presence if they wanted to rise in the ranks. Uwabami and Best Jeanist, I recall, said in an interview together that raging edgy heroes were only popular with teenagers and often were sidelined for calmer heroes when it came down to popularity polls, Endeavor and Gang Orca the only real exceptions today.

For me, I didn't like Bakugou's attitude. From the only sentence he's ever said to the class and the sheer rage he displayed on-screen, he needed a serious attitude adjustment before I'd be willing to trust him to save anyone. Looking around, it seemed like everyone else was done with their writing and Aizawa began pulling up another student.

This was the precious cinnamon roll behind Shinso. He looked so tiny on screen compared to everyone else. His performance in the mock city was kind of lackluster, only taking down a two-pointer with a messy kick that _obliterated the robot_. Huh, he's stronger t-The zero-pointer is there, everyone is running away and a brown haired girl is trapped in some rubble. Its Uraraka whose trapped and Midoriya just scrambles forwards. He doesn't seem able to lift the rubble away, which is odd given that he utterly destroyed a two-pointer just a moment ago. His stance changes as he faces the zero-pointer. A aura of green lightning seems to envelop him...

_...he just jumped up and took out the zero-pointer with one punch._

The video ends with Midoriya tumbling to the ground.

"Next is the runner-up for the entrance exam, Izuku Midoriya. He scored two villain points and seventy rescue points in the practical exam while also scoring one hundred percent in the written exam. His quirk, _Overwhelm_, is finicky to use, capable of augmenting him to near-All Might levels of strength for brief moments of time at the cost of his own body. According to the on-site responders, Midoriya shattered his right arm and both legs were covered in micro-fractures from the jump."

I wasn't the only one scribbling madly after that performance. Midoriya hadn't been impressive in the first few moments. But when someone had been in danger, man did he rise to the occasion. And his attitude...he's quiet and shy, which is really at odds with his quirk. I guess Midoriya's the humble kind of hero. Humble heroes aren't overly popular with teenagers but they get overwhelming approval with emergency responders and older generations. Grandfather has a split opinion on the more humble heroes of today. He thinks they should take more pride in their achievements but allows that some just aren't cut out for the spotlight.

Stupid old man can't make up his mind, sometimes.

"Alright, moving on..."

More students and videos are shown. Most aren't as impressive as Bakugou or Midoriya's performances, but all tend to show a leaning towards individual skill. Not many of us show really heroic tendencies during the exam.

The comments about the teamwork between Shinso and I was nice. I didn't realize how impressively in-sync the two of us seemed to an observer. It was like watching one of the undercover soldier scenes. Especially the part where I'm distracted with freeing that Mineta kid and Shinso is just downing robot after robot that tries attacking me. Damn, I didn't even notice that two-pointer had gotten so close to us!

There is zero quirk use by Shinso, but the class seems impressed. Aizawa explaining Shinso's lack of quirk use had lots of heads nodding with understanding. Brainwashing would have been useless for the practical and some praise him for sticking out the exam when there was a chance he'd never be able to pass.

There's hope, right?

_Everything was going to be fine._


	6. FiF 6

Each of us had handed in a whole stack of paper for grading.

Worse was the feeling of dread that pervaded throughout the class. This assessment test seemed to immediately pit us against another, making us wonder just how others saw us this first day. Were we perceived as potential heroes or would our peers decide they didn't want us as classmates...

I had faith that at least three people thought I'd be a great hero, Shinso at the very top of that list. My review of him and a few others were fairly glowing and most of the class I graded kindly. There was only one person here that I was rather...biased against. I kind of hoped I hadn't caused him to be sent away. His attitude was shit and his vocabulary was worse, but at least he wanted to be a hero. Gods, I wanted to grab my stack back and tear them to shreds. What did I know about being a hero?! I could be dooming someone to General Studies for months or years with my harsh words, just because I didn't like their attitude.

"Hey," I'm shaken from my thoughts by a hand on my shoulder. Shinso has his bag over his shoulder, looking down at me. Most of our classmates had already left with only a few still hanging around, just as shame-faced as I was. Shinso didn't seem all that worried and I say as much. He just shrugs. "Regardless of what happens, Aizawa didn't say how much our opinions actually mattered compared to his and those examiners. For all we know, our assessments were just as flavor or a scare tactic. Just relax and we'll go get some of the sherbert you like."

I nod, hoping he was right. I didn't want to be right...

* * *

"You all gave some interesting reviews of your peers."

Homeroom began with Aizawa standing up front with an ominous red and blue folder in hand. He was waving about and everyone's eyes tracked that folder like a pack of dogs staring at a treat. No doubt he noticed just where our attentions were focused, but he kept rambling on and on...

"Most of you were kind in your criticism of your fellow students, with a few exceptions. It all averaged out as you all viewing your classmates as future heroes, regardless of their attitudes and way they utilized their quirks." Aizawa smacks the folder to his podium and we all jump in surprise. "Sadly, this test wasn't exactly fair on you all. While you all were indeed fair in your opinions, the judges and I had much harsher views on which of you are cut out for the hero course."

He taps the folder with one finger, jabbing it with each word.

"In this, I have a list of names. A list of students who will remain part of the Hero Course. Anyone not listed are to report to Cementoss in West-B for their revised passes and handbooks required for General Studies. This list can be challenged if you, as a class, can prove to me that anyone being dismissed deserves to be here. It has to be a unanimous decision; any doubts you have will invalidate everyone else's choice." Aizawa pulls out two sheets of paper and sticks them to the whiteboard. "I'll be heading over to the teacher's lounge while you all read over the list. Don't bother me with your personal grievances. Either decide as a class that the list is fine or that someone deserves their spot."

Aizawa leaves and there is nothing but silence. None of us want to go up and see just who has bee-

"Well, might as well read it out loud..." Shinso stands up, all eyes on his lanky form as he walks up to the board and takes both papers in hand. He glances down the list and looks at us all. "Alright, only one person in here aren't on the list."

Everyone goes still, shaking in their seats. Midoriya is the worse off; poor guy has gone pale, sweat is rolling down his face and...he's starting to cry...

"Damn it, Shinso! This kinda suspense isn't manly at all! Tell us who just got booted so we can prove Aizawa wrong!" Kirishima shouts from the back, his Augment quirk flicking on and off. Shinso sighs.

"I'll just read off who is actually on the list. I don't actually remember most of your names," he shrugs and starts.

"Me and Harui are fine." I slump in my chair, tension leaving all at once.

"Sparkles..." Yuga flips his hair dramatically.

"...Pinkie..." Ashido flops face first onto her desk.

"...Frog-""Tsuyu.""...Tsuyu..." Tsuyu nods, her expression not changing once.

"...Iida..." Iida adjusts his glasses, looking at the rest of the room.

"...Scarface..." Todoroki doesn't seem to react, either completely confident in his chances or not caring at all.

"...Size Queen and Man-Hands..." Kodai frowns while Itsuka cracks her knuckles.

"...Earjack and Broccoli Head..." Jirou sighs and Midioriya practically passes out in relief.

"...Rocky, Tape, Shocker and Emo Hawk are here as well..." The four behind me all relax in their own way. Kirishima and Sero fist bump while Kaminari copies Midoriya. Tokoyami says something about pervading darkness.

"Rich Girl, Invisible Girl, Gravity Girl, and Tentacles are the only names left," Shinso finishes off, staring at the one person he didn't call out. All of us turn to stare in horror...

...

"...K-Kacchan, y-you weren't...!" Midoriya seems to be the most surprised and devastated. Bakugou is just staring angrily at his desk, clenching his hands as sparks crackle between his fingers. He looks up and glares at us all, probably trying to find which of us gave lousy reviews.

"I...damn it!" He punches the desk, fractures covering part of the plastic material. His desk also is left warped from the fireworks popping off of his hands. All of us are just exchanging looks of pity and frustration. I don't think anyone considered that our reviews would be taken seriously compared to the staff and Aizawa.

Well, I took it seriously and...

"You know, I gave you a pretty shitty review, Fingerbang." Shinso is the first of us, once more, to break the silence. Bakugou looks at him, rage still all-consuming. Shinso has already retaken his seat, having put the list back up. "You got an amazing quirk and you definitely know how to use it to your advantage. But you nothing about you made me think, 'This guy is a hero. He can save the day."

Shinso turns back to stare Bakugou in the eye.

"Honestly, all I saw in that video was a mad dog finally let off his leash." Bakugou jumps to his feet, practically leaping over his desk to get to Shinso. Kirishima and Sero move to intercept, grabbing Bakugou's arms. The blonde is really...really angry.

"You think you fucking know me, you dead-eyed prick?!" Bakugou struggles in their arms, raging at Shino. "I'll tear you apart, I swear I'll fucking kill you!"

Everyone...we're all pretty shocked at the...sheer hate Bakugou was emitting.

"Bakugou, Shinso wasn't the only one who felt your attitude is unfit for heroics!" Iida inserts himself between the boys, arms making robotic chopping motions as he speaks. "Your horrible attitude and profound vulgarity also forced me to place a highly critical and negative review as well. I apologize that my opinion has caused you to lose your place in the Hero Course, but I will not let you harm another student! Such actions only prove our view of you correct!"

"Shit, acting like this is only proving Shinso right, Bakugou!" Kirishima grunted out, having Augmented himself to properly restrain the snarling blond. His craggy appearance did little to hide his guilty expression. "I didn't give you a decent review, either! Man, you were damn scary on screen and it was even worse during the test. You nearly took out Denki and Mina when you blew up that swarm of one-pointers."

Bakugou froze and looked at Kaminari and Ashido, who nodded in memory of the entrance exam.

"Yeah, I would have been nailed in the head if I hadn't ducked under that flying arm," Kaminari admitted.

"I hid behind Eijiro..." Ashido muttered, not meeting his gaze.

Others in our class started admitting to grading Bakugou's performance poorly as well, each one looking either guilty or defiant.

_"The way you were snarling and tearing through those robots was kind of cool, but the damage to the buildings and street was pretty bad. It looked like a warzone..." Hagakure stated, waving her arms dramatically._

_"I agree. It was an impressive fight, but the amount of collateral damage you left in your wake has often led to the end of many hero careers. Endeavor himself almost lost his hero license when he burned two buildings to the ground as he chased after a vigilante." Yaoyorozu added, citing a similar event._

_"Lots of power, very little care for others. I too marked you very poorly." Kodai stated firmly, meeting Bakugou's gaze._

_"The pyrotechnics were off the charts. Which was the biggest problem for me. You weren't being careful with where you fired off your quirk. If that'd been a real gig, you would have been dropped from the charts in a heartbeat." Jirou looked mostly nonchalant, but her earphone jacks were twitching erratically._

Everyone had something to say against Bakugou...

...well, except Midoriya, who was looking at us all in shock. You'd think he'd never heard anyone criticize Bakugou before. But, something seemed to light up inside him. Midoriya stood up, staring at his feet as he shouted,

"You're all wrong! Kacchan is definitely going to be a great hero!"

All of us fell silent once more, staring at Midoriya in surprise.

Bakugou was especially shocked.

"Ka-Kacchan is a terrible friend. He's belittled me and anyone he's ever spoken to. He shows off at every opportunity and always acts like jerk to anyone having trouble. But he wants to help people! Kacchan wants to stand up and be the greatest hero ever. Who are you all to say he can't be a hero!?"

The accusation rings in our ears.

_Really, who are we to say he can't be a hero?_


End file.
